Slower paced country living from the heart of the South.

How much food will fit into a 5 gallon bucket?

I’ve seen this question in various places on the internet, and thought I’d put my 2 cents’ worth in on the subject.

First – let’s talk about the bucket. If your bucket was previously used for food (icing from a bakery, pickles, etc.), then wash the bucket thoroughly, maybe even put some bleach in it and then let it air out for a couple of days to get any residual smell out.

If your bucket previously contained chemicals,DO NOT USE IT FOR FOOD STORAGE.

There is some debate on whether or not the orange “homer buckets” from Home Depot are suitable. Please note this is just MY opinion – everyone has to decide for themselves on this matter. I use metallized Mylar liners in any buckets we use for food storage, so the bucket is really there just to protect the liner – food never comes into direct contact with the bucket this way. Home Depot has stated the homer buckets are not food safe, but some people say the manufacturer said they are, but the dye used in the buckets is not. For myself, using a mylar liner, I don’t have a problem using the orange Home Depot buckets. That’s just me though.

Now – the liner. I think it’s necessary because buckets in and of themselves are NOT air-tight. With the mylar liners, you can choose to put in a few oxygen absorbers if you’d like. I personally do not use the oxygen absorbers along with my liners. I think to an extent, the food storage people are having a field day selling supplies to folks. Again, this is another area everybody has to decide for themselves. I buy liners from www.beprepared.com

From my own experience, a 5 gallon bucket will hold approximately 30 to 35 pounds of long grain rice, sugar, beans, etc.

The info on their site says that a 5 gallon bucket will hold 80 cups of whatever you are storing (by volume – not weight). Their recommendation is to store (5) 5 gallon buckets per person of rice, flour, and beans annually. When you tell someone to store a year’s worth of food, it’s sometimes hard to visualize. This will give you a better idea of a starting point.

I have also read about some people putting more than one item into a bucket, and there is some wisdom in doing this. You could choose to vacuum seal packages of flour, sugar, beans, rice, salt, seasonings, some canned goods, etc. and put into the mylar bag, then seal for some extra protection. That way you can grab a bucket and know you have enough to make a complete meal from one pail. This would also be helpful if you need to give a bucket of supplies to family, friends, or neighbors (or if you have to evacuate in an emergency – you can literally “grab and go”).

The important thing is to actually START on your food storage. Make it a priority for yourself and your family. IT IS THAT IMPORTANT. Hard times are coming, and you may need to rely on your food storage. Since I started this blog last fall, things have continued to go downhill – they will not get better anytime soon. Sorry – not trying to be “doom and gloom”, just a realist. Farmers have been unable to get loans to plant crops, there are droughts occurring on the west coast, and a large percentage of our food supply is being shipped in from overseas.

Think about adding heirloom seeds to your buckets. Greens, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and herbs will go a long way and grow with minimal skill needed from the farmer.
It might also be a good idea to print out instructions on soap, cheese, and butter making and other “lost arts” that will be needed in times of emergency.
Be prepared, be very prepared.
In a recent Popular mechanics issue centered around surviving disasters, it was noted that after a hurricane last year that hit Texas, money was basically worthless as there were no stores at which to spend it, but beer was a traded commodity! Go figure.

Hi, someone recommended your excellent and creative idea of using 5 gallon buckets for “go food,” food storage you can grab and go in an emergency.

I was wondering a few things about your vacuum sealing of foods. We’re a family of three with allergies and very different tastes. In other words, a full #10 can of anything just wouldn’t work for our family. However, breaking it down into smaller portions that could be used over time, would. Being able to buy say, a #10 can of powdered eggs, is a ton cheaper than the $7 cans that hold a little over 20 servings.

I’d love to ask:

!. What brand of vacuum sealer and/or bag you bought or would recommend

2. Have you had any problems with repackaging freeze dried or dehydrated items such as fruit, veggies, eggs, or cheese powder?

I bought a FoodSaver vacuum sealer from Sam’s (and an extra box of bags) and have been extremely pleased with the results (note to self- popcorn does NOT seal well! It tends to poke holes in the bags. 😛 ).

I have not had any trouble repackaging anything except the previously mentioned popcorn. Some of them did hold the seal, and others didn’t. If you reseal anything powdered (i.e. flour, cheese powder, etc.), it helps to put a piece of paper towel over the top of the powder to prevent it from being sucked into the motor, then seal as usual.

Yadda, yadda, yadda…..

Just a disclaimer - use the information contained within these pages at your own risk. We are not responsible for misuse, misunderstanding, or injury resulting anything listed on this blog. I have a great number of opinions on a wide variety of topics and reserve the right to be wrong. :o) However, I do hope that others can learn from some of the mistakes I've made, and that is one reason I started blogging. My sole purpose in life may just be to serve as a warning to others! :o)